Houthis in Yemen said 25-member crew of Galaxy Leader had been freed ‘in support’ of the Gaza ceasefire agreement

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Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader more than a year after they seized the Bahamas-flagged vessel off the Yemeni Red Sea coast, Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV has reported.

It said on Wednesday the crew were handed to Oman “in coordination” with the three-day-old ceasefire in Gaza’s war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

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© Photograph: Houthis Media Center/HANDOUT HANDOUT/EPA

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© Photograph: Houthis Media Center/HANDOUT HANDOUT/EPA

Israel defence minister calls Jenin siege ‘shift in … security strategy’, as Palestinian Red Crescent says ambulances cannot reach dead and wounded

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Israeli forces have besieged a Palestinian government hospital in Jenin and a nearby refugee camp in the heart of the city, as the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said the assault marked “a shift in … security strategy” in the West Bank.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday they had carried out airstrikes in Jenin as well as detonating roadside explosive devices. The Palestinian health ministry said at least 10 people had been killed in Jenin, and more than 40 wounded.

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© Photograph: Majdi Mohammed/AP

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© Photograph: Majdi Mohammed/AP

Further shooting and explosions reported after 10 killed yesterday as Ayman Safadi tells Davos meeting of fears for territory

After months of negotiations, a ceasefire has paused the devastating war in Gaza, but it risks collapsing as a result of deep distrust between Israel and Hamas and the multi-phased nature of the deal, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Qatar, which mediated the talks along with the US and Egypt, has expressed hope the six-week truce and hostage-prisoner exchange will become permanent. However, that outcome is far from certain with the releases timetabled at a slower pace in comparison with a previous truce agreement.

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© Photograph: Alaa Badarneh/EPA

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© Photograph: Alaa Badarneh/EPA

Wiwwaeo Sriaoun, whose son Watchara is one of six Thais held by Hamas, says ceasefire deal has given her more hope

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The mother of a Thai man held in Gaza has pleaded for her son to be freed, saying the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that will allow for the gradual release of hostages had given her greater hope.

Wiwwaeo Sriaoun’s son Watchara was one of dozens of Thai workers kidnapped from the farms on which they were working in southern Israel on 7 October 2023. Six are still being held in Gaza.

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© Photograph: Thomas Suen/Reuters

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© Photograph: Thomas Suen/Reuters

Communication lines open 24 hours intended to avoid breakdown over reported violations and other issues

Qatari, US and Egyptian negotiators are running a communications hub in Cairo to protect the ceasefire in Gaza, as Donald Trump said he was not confident the break in fighting would hold.

Violations have already been reported. Medics in Gaza said on Monday that eight people had been hit by Israeli fire. The start of the ceasefire was also delayed when Hamas did not provide the names of hostages to be released.

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© Photograph: Mohammed Salem/Reuters

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© Photograph: Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Quatre Israéliennes doivent être libérées, ce samedi, lors du prochain échange d’otages contre des prisonniers palestiniens, a annoncé mardi le Hamas au troisième jour d’un cessez-le-feu fragile dans la bande de Gaza.

Cheaper foodstuffs and being able to go out without fear of death or mutilation bring relief but conditions remain dire

On the first morning of the first day after the ceasefire, the market of Asdaa camp, a sprawling area of tents and makeshift shelters on the central Gaza coast, was busy.

Some shoppers had come because prices of the small range of basic necessities available had dropped since the ceasefire was declared, making once prohibitively expensive items just about affordable.

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© Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters

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© Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters

Trois femmes israéliennes otages du Hamas ont été libérées, dimanche, tout comme 90 Palestiniens prisonniers en Israël. Le prochain échange est prévu samedi.

Israël a relâché, ce lundi, 90 détenus palestiniens quelques heures après que trois otages israéliennes ont été libérées par le Hamas, dans le cadre du cessez-le-feu entre l’armée israélienne et le mouvement islamiste palestinien dans la bande de Gaza.

Trois otages libérées dimanche par le Hamas ont retrouvé leurs familles en Israël, au premier jour du cessez-le-feu entre l’armée israélienne et le mouvement islamiste palestinien dans la bande de Gaza.

Dans un paysage apocalyptique laissé par plus de 15 mois de guerre, des Gazaouis rentrent chez eux, beaucoup pour n’y retrouver que ruines, au premier jour du cessez-le-feu entre le Hamas et Israël.

Le président français Emmanuel Macron a annoncé, ce vendredi, sur X que les deux otages franco-israéliens Ofer Kalderon et Ohad Yahalomi figuraient « dans la liste des 33 otages qui doivent être libérés » par le Hamas « dans la première phase de l’accord de Gaza ».